The Tainted Heart
by FlameAlchmst
Summary: COMPLETE. SHORT STORY. 1 CHAPTER LONG. Sakura has always admired the carefree and energetic Syaoran. One day, he loses his mother, and things only go downhill from there. What will become of Syaoran? Please R&R!


**THE TAINTED HEART**

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS or its characters. I'm just using the characters for a short story

This is a really short story. It's all told in Sakura's point of view. It's filled with suspense, mystery...and its depressing. I had to write a story for English class, and I decided to turn it into a CCS story! Enjoy.

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**SAKURA'S P.O.V**

Peiwa had always been a carefree town filled with delight. All the people were gracious and kind towards each other. Every weekend, a town festival was held where men, women, girls, boys, and children of all ages partied throughout the night. Off all the neighbors around me, the one who stood out most was Syaoran Li. Syaoran was an energetic boy whose joy and high spirits were contagious to anyone who spoke with him. His parents were the most affectionate couple in town and he was their beloved son. They were the main source of the whole town's energy. However, all this changed after just one night.

One night in late February, Mrs. Li met with an accident and departed from this life. This tragedy put the whole town in uproar and many grieved for the good-natured woman. Although this death affected the town, the influence it had on Mr. Li was immense. Despite the kind efforts of the neighbors, Mr. Li remained miserable and began drinking along with taking drugs. He was rarely seen walking around after that. Day by day, a change was evident in Syaoran's attitude and health. He began wearing long-sleeved shirts even in the warmest weather. Slowly, he broke ties he had with people and turned into a stranger. Now and then I'd bump into him at the food store and attempt to start conversations. He'd just cut me off and end it quickly. Eventually, his dad passed away too. The terrible habits kept by Mr.Li had eaten away at him from the inside. Syaoran, now at the age of eighteen, stayed alone in the house of his parents.

Syaoran was now isolated from the whole town. Once a week we would see him buying items at the food store, but that's the only time he ever went into town. He was always either locked up at home, or out of the town in some city. No one dared to converse with Syaoran anymore. The last time someone attempted a chat with him, he nearly exploded. He went frantic and wrecked everything in sight. Despite this, I continued to greet him whenever we met on the streets.

"Hello Syaoran," I'd say, anxiously waiting for his usual reply.

He'd turn around and stare…stare right into my eyes. I seized this opportunity to get a good look at him. His dark brown hair fell right below his ears; he hadn't cut it in a while. His skin seemed pale - sickly pale. His brown eyes appeared shallow and lost. They held intense emotions filled with misery and agony. Despite his condition, he was still stunningly handsome in my eyes.

"…hey…," He would reply, barely audible. His eyes looked at me for a bit more, and a look of despair came over his face. After that, he would turn around and we would both part ways. This is how it went on for a while.

Soon I started seeing him less often in town because he started leaving more frequently. Then, things abruptly changed again. He'd leave town once a week and return home with what seemed to be another person. I'd sit at my window late at night and watch him return with his companion. After a week of staying at home, Syaoran would leave town again. This pattern went on continuously and the neighbors grew suspicious. However, no matter how much they tried, they couldn't find out anything. His attitude was no longer miserable, it was just plain cold. He would throw deadly glares at anyone who even dared to even look at him. His face grew indifferent, and his eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.

One evening while staring at Syaoran's house, I noticed the curtain open from the room that always had its light on. To my surprise, Syaoran's eyes peered through his window and looked directly at mine. I couldn't recognize his face anymore; it was emotionless and dreadful to look at. Slowly, tiny droplets of tears streamed down my cheeks, but I continued to stare at him. The iciness in his dark blue eyes gradually diminished and was replaced by anguish and extreme longing. His eyes never left mine and we gazed at each other for what felt like years. In a way, we provided some sort of a comfort for each other. The events of that Tuesday night continued to occur every Tuesday night. If he wasn't at his window, I'd be waiting for him to come. Likewise, if I wasn't at my window, he'd be waiting for my presence. Even though we stopped speaking, I believe that a strange and mutual love had developed between us.

Months went by and we continued to communicate in this mysterious way. So many feelings and secrets lay behind Syaoran's eyes that I could gaze at them forever. Sometimes he seemed to be in better health, but usually he looked even worse than usual. His mysterious aura was so intriguing, yet I couldn't find out anything about him. He still brought back someone with him once a week from the cities he'd visit. All those people that entered his house never left; at least I never saw them leave.

Before I knew it, all my hopes of Syaoran Li were shattered. One Tuesday night, he didn't show up at his window. I waited for him for hours, but there was still no sign of him. In fact, the room light was turned off. Three days passed without any sign of movement from the house, so the neighbors called the police. All of us neighbors entered the Li household to make sure everything was alright, but what we discovered was dreadful. In one of the room upstairs, Syaoran lay dead on the bed. He was suffering from malnutrition along with all the other troubles in his life. A hard and dry lump formed in my throat as I watched Syaoran being examined by the officers. Carvings of dragons with the initials _"S.L"_ on their tongues were found all over his arms and body. Gothic poems were found all over his dressing table with themes about the Li's, foolish girls, death, and misery. I also noticed that some poems had the words _'…the girl in the window…'_

After the discovery of Syaoran's body, shrilling shrieks were heard downstairs. All of us rushed to see what had happened. The sight was horrid; bodies of naked girls were found stuffed in all sorts of places. They were found in closets, kitchen cabinets, and vacant bedrooms. It occurred to me that he must have been bringing a girl back with him each week. What raised even more commotion were the symbols found on each girl's body: carvings of dragons with the initials _"S.L"_ on their tongues.


End file.
